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Here we go again - why the snarl-ups are back

12:01pm Saturday 19th July 2008

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ROAD repairs causing gridlock on Weymouth's Dorchester Road are the result of structural problems that went unnoticed during resurfacing work just two years ago.

Engineers say the the roadworks now under way had to be carried out before the road collapsed.

Dorset County Council highways engineer Jerry Gerlach said that two years ago faults in the road's basic structure were not detected because workers were not looking for them.

He said: "The work we did then was primarily a resurfacing job and to put in traffic islands as part of our scheme for safer routes to schools. We weren't looking at the foundations.

"Because all the traffic has been running over the road for many years we thought it was okay and we were surprised when we found the surface was deformed. It was during a routine inspection a few weeks ago, we noticed there was a dip forming. When we had a look it was where the road had been widened many years ago - the whole thing was collapsing.

"The surface was only laid two years ago but it's not the surface that's the problem, it's the structure in the lower layers that went down 30 to 40 years ago and was not done to current standards."

Mr Gerlach added: "These are emergency works we are doing at the moment, rather than planned works, as a result of the road collapsing. We were anxious to get this work completed before the main summer break, otherwise we would be in danger of the road completely collapsing and it would have had to be cordoned off so only a single lane would remain open over a period of the summer."

Traffic signals are in place on the section of Dorchester Road that is under maintenance, causing lengthy delays for vehicles coming in and out of the town during a traditionally busy period for the resort. Mr Gerlach said he is expecting the signals to be removed this weekend and the works should be completed by Monday evening. He said: "For two weeks we were able to work without signals but this week we have had to have signals 24 hours a day as we have to let the concrete cure. We are hoping to remove the signals this weekend and we will have a stop-go sign in place on Monday."

Mr Gerlach stressed that the works would not be authorised for the summer unless they were essential. He said: "People have doubted that they are emergency works, and they are bound to, but there is no way we would do it at this time of year unless it was deteriorating so rapidly it was an emergency."

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Your Say YourDorset Echo

spangler, says...
12:20pm Sat 19 Jul 08

"Because all the traffic has been running over the road for many years we thought it was okay
Err, I'm not an engineer but I'd be inclined to think that with all the traffic that had been running over the road for many years that it might not be ok and needs checking once in a while. For example before resurfacing and other works.

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weymouthfox, Weymouth says...
12:30pm Sat 19 Jul 08

Driving to work in Dorchester and back every day this week has been a trial with miles of queues. These works have shown up the incompetence of the council who have managed to turn a four lane road into one lane- and at the busiest time of the summer. We motorists are paying the penalty for the council installing those silly traffic islands which serve no purpose. But I don't suppose anybody at the council care what we thing, they just spend our money.

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towncrystal, weymouth says...
1:38pm Sat 19 Jul 08

this is typical of our local council stupidity. laying the tarmac before & not making common sense decisions. who are the stupid people involved in the decision making.are they saying that it hasnt been checked for structural safety in the past 40 years then? idiots !!who is paying ? message to weymouth fox, train is much less stressful when this holdup happens, i can understand getting caught once but not repeatedly.

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Fabian, Weymouth says...
2:10pm Sat 19 Jul 08

Fair enough this is emergency work. Is that also the case for Monday's (21st) work by Wessex water on Preston road? I can only imagine it will be hell down there on the first week day after the schools have broken up. Abandon your cars for the day I think!

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andena, PORTLAND says...
2:53pm Sat 19 Jul 08

All we need now is a burst water pipe on littlemore road and thats weymouth done for.

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lulworth, westlulworth says...
4:45pm Sat 19 Jul 08

as a regular user of the dorchester road once again more nead for our new relief road,While driveing there friday morning at approx 11.30am I did not see one person working on this section of roadworks in all it's length construction / repair maybe more work time then there would be less upheavel for the roads users who pay for this work.

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nige, dorchester says...
5:32pm Sat 19 Jul 08

There is still enough time for the BOA to change their minds.....Maybe Cowes would be better suited. Certainly Weymouth can't cope.

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yogi, Staying in weymouth to work says...
5:48pm Sat 19 Jul 08

What great joy for all those drivers who keep on driving to and from weymouth to work.
Can't stop laughing...

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DingDonG, Wilds of Wiltshire says...
6:19pm Sat 19 Jul 08

andena wrote:
All we need now is a burst water pipe on littlemore road and thats weymouth done for.
There is always the B3157 via Bridport for the main road in & out of Weymouth.
Extra safe now with the 40 mph limit.
Better scenery to enjoy at a sedate pace.

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John, Weymouth says...
7:22pm Sat 19 Jul 08

The temporary lights and the cars cluttering the road slowed me down a bit.

It took me one minute more than usual to cycle the 6 miles to work.

Should I be surprised that the highways dept. didn't conduct a proper survey before spending lots of Dosh on the new surface?

As the re-work is on the nearside of the road, I just hope
they reinstate the surface properly for the benefit of cyclists... though anything must be better than the 'cowboy' corrugated repair on Preston Beach road near Lodmoor car park

(In anticipation of the usual whingers, yes, I do pay vehicle excise duty)

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Sidney Hall, Nearby says...
9:31pm Sat 19 Jul 08

Weymouth - Dorchester South is £3.30 return.

Just planting seeds....

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John, Weymouth says...
8:55am Sun 20 Jul 08

Can’t say that I’ve noticed the reporter’s name before, but his use of hyperbole is traditional Echo.


ROAD repairs causing gridlock on Weymouth's Dorchester Road.


Dictionary Definition:

Gridlock: A condition of total, interlocking traffic congestion on the streets or highways of a crowded city, in which no one can move because everyone is in someone else's way.

All I saw was a queue caused by a set of temporary traffic lights.



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genghis, portland says...
8:57am Sun 20 Jul 08

Sidney Hall wrote:
Weymouth - Dorchester South is £3.30 return. Just planting seeds....
You know that won't work as they'll all drive to the station and complain about lack of parking.

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local resident, weymouth says...
6:12pm Sun 20 Jul 08

Perhaps the Chief Executive of Dorset Council would like to make an apology to road users for the incompetence of his staff. Who is going to resign? Not him thats a cert. We the council tax payers are paying him £100k a year for this incompetence

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Fabian, Weymouth says...
6:31pm Sun 20 Jul 08

Sidney Hall wrote:
Weymouth - Dorchester South is £3.30 return. Just planting seeds....
You are quite right, but alas not everyone stuck in the queues needs to go between Weymouth and Dorchester.

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techie, Weymouth says...
8:50pm Sun 20 Jul 08

local resident wrote:
Perhaps the Chief Executive of Dorset Council would like to make an apology to road users for the incompetence of his staff. Who is going to resign? Not him thats a cert. We the council tax payers are paying him £100k a year for this incompetence
You don't think you might be over-reacting just a little, teensy bit?

If the work had to be done as an emergency I think that's fair enough. You can't really be expecting people to resign for the standard of roadworks that were carried out forty years ago.

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Leo, weymouth says...
11:53pm Sun 20 Jul 08

Time to scrap those ludicrous islands - not to mention that pull out to overtake imaginary buses near the Nottington turnoff! Whoever designs roads round here should find another vocation.

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techie, Weymouth says...
11:03am Mon 21 Jul 08

not to mention that pull out to overtake imaginary buses near the Nottington turnoff!


I think that's called a bus stop.

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Ask Archie, Weymouth says...
12:33pm Mon 21 Jul 08

Simple answer.
Releif Road Now.

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Leo, weymouth says...
1:12pm Mon 21 Jul 08

Yes its called a bus stop! I've seen several near misses when cars unpredictably pull out to go round....nothing. No releif road - or even relief road - thanks.

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techie, Weymouth says...
2:37pm Mon 21 Jul 08

Ah, so other cars following the road markings confuse you.

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dunketh, Portland says...
3:09pm Mon 21 Jul 08

I prefer to go via Hardys monument and martinstown.
Its a much nicer route with hardly any traffic.
Sod the relief road (at this rate it'll never get built), take the 'scenic' road instead.

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Ask Archie, Weymouth says...
3:59pm Mon 21 Jul 08

dunketh wrote:
I prefer to go via Hardys monument and martinstown. Its a much nicer route with hardly any traffic. Sod the relief road (at this rate it'll never get built), take the 'scenic' road instead.
Good plan bung up the country lanes with commuter traffic.Do you work for the council by any chance?

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Leo, weymouth says...
5:15pm Mon 21 Jul 08

Ah, so other cars following the road markings confuse you
Yes.

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dunketh, Portland says...
9:51am Tue 22 Jul 08

Ask Archie wrote:
dunketh wrote:
I prefer to go via Hardys monument and martinstown. Its a much nicer route with hardly any traffic. Sod the relief road (at this rate it'll never get built), take the 'scenic' road instead.
Good plan bung up the country lanes with commuter traffic.Do you work for the council by any chance?
Needs must I'm afraid.
Until a better option presents itself I shall continue to play my part in moving the congestion problem to the country roads.
Once they get bunged up I shall no doubt search for yet another alternative route. This ever worsening cycle will continue until someone has the balls and good sense to build the relief road or the entire town grinds to a halt and we all give up and stay at home on the dole.. very possibly working for it by sweeping the streets in future!

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local resident, weymouth says...
11:19am Sun 27 Jul 08

local resident wrote:
Perhaps the Chief Executive of Dorset Council would like to make an apology to road users for the incompetence of his staff. Who is going to resign? Not him thats a cert. We the council tax payers are paying him £100k a year for this incompetence

You don't think you might be over-reacting just a little, teensy bit?

If the work had to be done as an emergency I think that's fair enough. You can't really be expecting people to resign for the standard of roadworks that were carried out forty years ago.

It would be nice if he came out with a statement to the local tax payers who bankroll his job that he was sorry for the inconvence and he would try to do better in future. They take the cash but they do not want the responsibility.

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